Colombo, July 20 (IANS): Sri Lanka's main Tamil political party, the TNA, on Monday said it will push for a permanent political solution to issues faced by the Tamils after the August 17 parliamentary election.

Tamil National Alliance leader Suresh Premachandran said a resolution for the Tamil issue is what the Tamils had been calling for over a long period of time, reports Xinhua.

This would be one of the key issues raised in the election campaign, he said.

Asked if the TNA would work with other political parties and independent groups ahead of the polls, Premachandran said that since the TNA would be contesting alone it won't get on stage with any other political party.

"However, after the election, if any Tamil political party or group wants to work with us and accept our policies, they will be more than welcome," he said.

The TNA has often claimed to be the sole representative of the Tamils.

A group of former Tamil Tiger members are also contesting the parliamentary election.

The Crusaders for Democracy consists of former Tamil Tiger cadres who have been rehabilitated by the government after the end of the war in 2009.